Whereas at home everyone sends Christmas cards to their friends and family members, in Japan people send New Years Cards, or nengajo. I have received some in the past two years and I thought that this year I would send a few myself. The picture at left is one of the cards I sent. The red middle stamp says Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu, which is a traditional New Year's Wish. Underneath it in black is kyonenju wa taihen seiwa ni narimashita. Kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegaishimasu (You really took care of me last year, I ask for you to help me again this coming year.) It's difficult to translate these greetings properly into English because there aren't really equivalent sentiments in English.

    It's a tradition in Japan to visit a shrine on New Year's to pray for a good year. My friends Jasona nd Anita came to visit and we went to Kamikawa Shrine in Asahikawa. It was packed with people despite that fact it was a dreary rainy day.